Mark Bocko
Distinguished Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Director, Audio & Music Engineering Program, Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
$4 million over five years
SoundSpace
Extending the technical and artistic abilities of music and sound.
Joining Music and Technology
SoundSpace unites Rochester’s renowned expertise in music, audio engineering, and related disciplines to create a leading hub for research, education, and public engagement in which to explore the dynamic interplay between music, sound, and technological innovation.
Focus Areas
Research and initiatives at SoundSpace focus on:
- Harnessing artificial intelligence to build collaborative systems for creating and learning music
- Music digital rights management and audio media security in the age of AI
- Reaching music audiences in new and engaging ways including immersive sound, extended reality, eletroacoustic music, multimedia performance, and music for film, games, and mixed environments
- Sound monitoring/control in the built and natural environments
Why It Matters
Sound technologies underpin over $2 trillion in global economic activity annually, spanning media, entertainment, and consumer electronics. As AI-generated audio becomes more powerful and sophisticated, SoundsSpace is positioned to lead in meeting emerging challenges in audio media rights management and security, and in creating new and compelling immersive sound experiences.
With a legacy that includes Rochester’s patented audio watermarking technology for home cinema anti-piracy and pioneering work in audio deepfake detection, SoundSpace builds on a foundation of innovation to redefine how music and audio are made, experienced, and protected. It also raises Rochester’s global stature by uniting the Eastman School’s musical prestige with the engineering excellence of the Hajim School’s audio engineering program, and allied fields.
Leading Advances in Music Technology
Impact
SoundSpace is poised to put Rochester back at the forefront of music-technology innovation, harking back to the city’s historical powerhouses in broadcasting and communications. It creates a boundary-crossing institute—part lab, part public learning center—where artists, technologists, and the community converge to create, explore, and play. Its vision is bold: a space that’s both a cutting-edge research lab and a hands-on public learning environment.
Leads
Apart from its two lead researchers, Mark Bocko and Mikel Kuehn, the center is supported by 11 additional faculty across disciplines, including biomedical engineering, computer science, composition, music theory, musicology, digital media, and auditory neuroscience.
Mikel Kuehn
Professor, Composition; Director, Electroacoustic Music Studios, Eastman School of Music
Connect with Us
Want to learn more about the work being done at SoundSpace? Interested in getting involved? Send us an email to get started.